With the final consultation under way on the controversial Liveable Neighbourhood (LN) scheme at New Sydney Place in Bath, there have already been hundreds of objections.
Looking down Sydney Place, with the LTN restriction in place
The United Sydney Unliveable Neighbourhoods Group (UNSUNG) said that less than a week after Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Traffic Regulation Order consultation opened, the number of people objecting had hit 470.
UNSUNG says that figure is higher than the number of people who voted for the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme in the last council consultation. LNs are also known as LTNs.
UNSUNG has set up a web page inviting people to register objections and the reasons why. Comments are invited before noon on Thursday 24th July, and they will be passed on to the council before the official consultation deadline of 5pm that day.
In April last year, the council launched the experimental scheme involving bollards which prevent drivers from cutting through to avoid the A36/Bathwick Street junction.
The scheme maintains vehicle access to homes from either side of the restriction. The council has said that vehicle numbers have reduced by up to 90% on New Sydney Place and 70% on Sydney Road.
But UNSUNG says the LTN has increased traffic by 20%-50% on surrounding roads that are less safe than Sydney Road.
Campaigners say that residents have reported many instances of traffic jumping the Bathwick Street traffic lights or blocking the yellow box since the LTN introduced congestion, with several pedestrian and cycle near-misses.
UNSUNG adds: “While B&NES claim no increase in pollution, they haven’t measured traffic or pollution levels on Sydney Place, but they have recently introduced signs advising drivers to switch off engines when stuck in congestion:”
Neil McCabe of UNSUNG has said the council “messed up” the implementation of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) by publishing an inadequate Statement of Reasons justifying it, therefore now needs to implement a permanent Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
The council’s cabinet member for sustainable transport strategy councillor Joel Hirst said at the start of the consultation that the trial has prevented more than 3,500 vehicles a day from using a residential street as a cut-through to avoid traffic lights on the A36 – including HGVs – and trial data has showed it has not made a significant difference to traffic flows, journey times or air quality on surrounding roads.
He said the full TRO consultation – https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sydneyroadETRO – is compliant with all the statutory requirements and will make the road changes permanent if approved.
The outcome is due to be published in the autumn.
UNSUNG is trying to raise at least £50,000 to prepare for court action if necessary. The group would be following in the footsteps of the West Dulwich Action Group (WDAG), which won its legal challenge against Lambeth Council’s over a traffic restriction earlier this year.
